Aaron Spivey

Aaron Spivey knew that he had to be involved in musical theater from the time he saw Brigadoon. Throughout high school and college, he immersed himself in every aspect of the theater – acting, singing, band, scenery and lighting. But a nagging little voice whispered insistently that he wasn’t good enough to be a performer. Consequently, Spivey moved to New York and pursued lighting design instead.

Having created the lighting for twenty-two Broadway shows, Spivey has begun to follow his original instincts. He joined a workshop called Singing as a Spiritual Practice, and with encouragement from founder Tony George, he’s back on stage for the first time in thirteen years as a solo performer. With strong support from Brett Kristofferson on piano and George on viola, he presented more than a dozen songs from top songwriters such as Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel and Stephen Schwartz, not to mention Sondheim.

From the first song (“Corner of the Sky” from Pippin) to the last (“Both Sides Now,” a giant hit by Joni Mitchell), Spivey linked various aspects of his life, song by song, while the audience responded enthusiastically. His Broadway quality voice, together with presence and accessibility, is characteristic of someone who’s been honing his craft for years. Yet, the show represented his debut, causing one to ponder where Aaron Spivey has been until now. Clearly he’s been up in the rafters watching and listening well.

Jerry Osterberg
Cabaret Scenes
Janaury 10, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org